Fran longed to bridge the distance between them, but could her festive wish ever come true?
BY STEVE BERESFORD
F ran hated to remember the last time she saw Jo. They’d argued and Fran shouted, “I’m your mother! And I worry myself sick about you. I don’t want you to –” “It’s my life. I can do what I want!” Jo cut in.
Then she just went anyway. That was back in October and Fran hadn’t seen her since. It was December now. Christmas Eve, in fact.
“Look at you,” Eddie said. “Away with the fairies.”
“Hmm?” Fran was sitting in the lounge, lost in her thoughts.
She was still worried about Jo, but also so much happier now. She was halfway through wrapping a science book, having already written the tag:
To Jo. Happy Christmas. Love from Mum and Dad.
Fran smiled. “I was thinking about. . .” “About Jo. Of course you were. But we’re running out of time if we want to be ready.”
“OK, OK !”
Fran had bought the book anyway, before she knew she would even see Jo.
She couldn’t imagine not buying her daughter a present for Christmas, even if she didn’t get to give it to her.
But what they hadn’t bothered with much was decorations. Without Jo there, Fran wasn’t sure she’d be able to celebrate at all.
So, there was no big tree this year. No lights. Only Christmas cards on the bookcase – and a furry snowman, just a few inches high.
Jo’s favourite decoration.
She used to have it in her bedroom. Fran put him by the telly, often touching his little carrot nose and making a wish.
Her wishing had worked, hadn’t it?
Eddie gestured at the boxes he’d retrieved from the loft. “How much of this stuff do you actually want out?”
“All of it!” Fran laughed.
Now they knew they would be seeing Jo for Christmas, Fran wanted to make the house as festive as possible.
“Are you sure?” Eddie frowned. “You’re usually so fussy with the decorations.”
Fran usually spent days arranging and rearranging them, never quite satisfied.
But this year Fran didn’t have the luxury of days, only hours. Jo had sent her message, See you at six-ish!
Fran began opening boxes, pulling out an angel, a reindeer, three Santas, the wooden “MERRY CHRISTMAS” that usually went on the mantelpiece. “Maybe try this over there.” Eddie positioned it. “It looks OK to me.”
“It’s going to be difficult to get the tree in as well, though.” Fran had a thou
